Dispensing device



kim. 31, 193.9. A. L. WATSON l ,455

DISPENSING DEVICE I 4 Filed Oct. 14, 1937.

" lNvENTOR Anl/v 1 /NGE@ WATSON /JM Mm ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 31, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE DISPEN SING DEVICE Ann Linger Watson, NewOrleans, La. Application October 14, 1937, Serial No. 168,874

Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing devices and more particularly todispensing devices which are automatic or self-vending in the sense thatas the purchaser or clerk takes out one article an- 5 other is advancedto take its place. In this way there is always presented to the view ofthe purchaser or clerk an article to 'be sold.

It is a well known fact that in grocery, drug and hardware stores andthe like, the articles to be sold are on display on shelves, counters,display racks, stands or tables. Like articles such as loaves of bread,jars, cans or other packages are usually placed in rows extendingtransversely across the shelves, counters, display racks, stands ortables, in such a fashion that when the first article is removed anotherarticle of the same kind is directly back of it. However, the articlewhich remains on the shelf is some distance back of the front edge, thedistance depending on the thickness of the package removed. Of course,after the second, third, fourth, etc., articles are removed the articlewhich stands behind them is in each instance a further distance from thefront edge of the shelf. The further back from the front edge of theshelf the article is, the less easily it can be seen by the customer andthus it losses in its advertising value. This is especially true ofarticles on the higher shelves because of the angle of vision. In agreat many retail stores the goods for sale are displayed in such amanner that the.purchaser can pick up the article he wants. This isespecially true of grocery stores where the customer is in the habit ofhimself collecting the articles he wishes to 35 purchase. If the articleto be sold is some distance back from the front edge of the shelf it notonly is not easily seen by the customer or clerk but is often out ofreach.

It can be readily understood that after a number of different articleshave been removed from the shelves of a store for sale, the neatappearance of the store has been destroyed because the articles are notuniformly spaced from the front edge of the shelves or counters. Thisfact has been well recognized by storekeepers, who from time to timeduring the days business remedy it by moving forwardly on the shelvesand counters all the rows of articles from which articles o1 50 packageshave been removed. This often tends to interfere with the serving ofother customers and entails a lot of extra work. Even though the rows ofarticles are moved forwardly on the display shelves from time to timeduring the day, yet as each separate article is removed between thosetimes the neat appearance of the store is destroyed that much.

The object of this invention is to remedy these defects and provide anapparatus into which a number of like loaves of bread, jars, bottles,cans or packages may be placed in a row. The appa ratus containing therow of like articles is then placed on a store shelf, display rack,stand, table or counter and it is such that When the article nearest theedge of the shelf, display rack, stand, table or counter is removed, thewhole row is automatically moved forwardly so that the remainingarticles are each advanced one position. In this way there is alwayspresented at the edge of the shelf, display rack, stand, table orcounter in a uniform manner, an article for display and ready forremoval until all the articles or packages in the dispensing device areremoved. Then the display device may be refilled.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my display device in loaded or extendedcondition looking from front to rear.

The dotted rectangle represents a loaf of bread in the forwardcompartment.

Fig. 2 is also a perspective View but the dispensing apparatus is in anempty or closed condition.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing l is a container or base portion within which thecollapsible compartments 3, li, 5, 6 and l move and are guided. Flanges2 help to guide and limit the movement of the said collapsiblecompartments.

When the collapsible compartments are in the loaded or extended positionas shown in Fig 1, articles to be displayed,

removed and sold are placed Within them. 8

represents a loaf of bread standing on its end in compartment l inFig. 1. It is intended that other loaves of bread may be inserted in theother collapsible compartments 5, i and 3. When this is done the deviceis to be placed transversely on a shelf, display rack, stand, table orcounter in a store with the compartment l at the front edge thereof.

Other similar devices another hook I3.

Hook I3 is fastened to de pending end ange I4 of the container, It isthus seen that under the tension of spring i2 back wall II of backcompartment 3 is always urged toward the forward wall 2 of the containerI. Compartments 4, 5, 6 and 'I being intermediate are likewise urgedtoward the forward wall.

Each of the collapsible compartments has collapsible connections betweenits transverse partitions. The form of invention illustrated has sidewalls I which are hingedly connected at I'I to side or partition wallsI5. These hinges are on the inside of the compartment. The collapsiblewalls, in the case illustrated, the side walls I5, are in two pieceswhich in turn are hinged at I8. Hinges I8 are on the outside of thesplit compartment walls. It is apparent that side walls I5 may thuscollapse inwardly when not held outwardly by an article inserted in thecompartment. The hinges I'I and I8 may be of any material and may be anintegral part of the side walls. If the side walls i5 of thecompartments are of thin material they will collapse by means of thepreviously described tension spring I2 if not held apart by an insertedarticle. If the side walls I5 are of a thicker material such as thinwood, I may use resilient or other spring material for the hinges I land I3 so that the abutting ends at I8 may be broken apart inwardly andallow the tension of spring I2 to collapse them inwardly. It is oftendesirable to have the side walls l5 of a material stili" in comparisonwith the tension exerted by spring I2, so that a soft article of salemay not be squeezed out of shape by the pressure of partition walls I6actuated by means of tension spring I2; if such side walls are used theinserted article will keep them apart and the pressure of the springwill be taken up through them instead of through the article.

When the container is loaded with articles and placed transversely on ashelf, display rack, stand, table or counter it is ready to operate.When a store clerk or customer removes the article from compartment 'Iwhich is at the forward edge of the shelf, the compartment 'Iimmediately collapses as previously described and compartment 6together' with the article with which it is filled is automaticallymoved forwardly. In this wayV another article takes the position in thedevice of the one just removed. If the article in compartment 6 isremoved then that compartment collapses in the same manner ascompartment 'I and compartment 5 with its article moves forwardly by theaction of tension spring I2, just as compartment 6 previously did. Thisaction continues until the container is empty.

While in some cases it may become desirable to omit the side walls I5and use collapsible bottom walls or no collapsible walls at all and alsoto use a base portion I which is not in the form of a container, but maybe a frame to support and guide the compartment partition walls I6, Inow prefer the construction shown. I also contemplate as coming withinthe confines of my invention, as defined in certain of the appendedclaims, the omission of not only the side walls I5 but also partitionsI6, excepting the last partition at the rear of the device which may beused as a pusher to push forward the row of articles when one of theforward ones is removed.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificstructures or procedure hereinabove described, but may be carried out inother forms without departure from its spirit as defined by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising in combination, a container, aplurality of collapsible compartments slidably guided by said containerand which compartments are adapted to be distended by articles therein,means for progressively advancing the rearward loaded compartmentstowards the front of the container upon the collapse of a forwardcompartment by the emptying thereof, and means for preventing pressureon said articles by said means for progressively advancing the rearwardloaded compartments.

2. A dispensing apparatus comprising in combination, a container, aplurality of collapsible compartments slidably guided and supported insaid container and which. compartments are adapted to be distended byarticles therein, and means for progressively advancing the rearwardloaded compartments towards the front of tne container upon the collapseof a forward compartment by the emptying thereof, said collapsiblecompartments having side walls adapted to prevent the squeezing ofarticles loaded therein by the pressure of said advancing means.

3. A display apparatus comprising in combination, a base portionprovided with a slot, a plurality of collapsible compartments at leastone of which is slidably guided in said slot and supported by said baseportion and which compartments are adapted to be distended by articlestherein, elastic means for progressively advancing the rearward loadedcompartments towards the front of the base portion upon the collapse ofa forward compartment by the emptying thereof, and means for preventingpressure on said articles `by said means for progressively advancing therearward loaded compartments.

4. A dispensing apparatus comprising in com bination, a container, aplurality of collapsible compartments slidably guided by said containerand which compartments are adapted to be distended by articles therein,and means for progressively advancing the rearward loaded compartmentstowards the front of the container upon the collapse of a forwardcompartment by the emptying thereof, the side walls of said compartmentswhen distended by articles therein affording means for preventingpressure on said articles by said means for progressively advancing therearward loaded compartments towards the front of the container.

5. A dispensing apparatus comprising in combination, a container, aplurality of collapsible compartments slidably guided in said containerand which compartments are adapted to be distended by articles therein,means to automatically cause the collapse of a compartment upon theemptying thereof and means for causing the rearward compartments to beadvanced towards the position occupied by the collapsed compartmentbefore the collapsing thereof and means for preventing pressure on saidarticles by said means for causing the rearward compartments to beadvanced.

ANN .LINGER WATSON.

